The present invention is concerned generally with combustors and their use in regenerative open cycle gas turbine systems and more particularly with a diverter and parallel flow combustor capable of diverting compressed combustion air by counterflow to a regenerator for heating the compressed combustor air and of using said regenerator heated compressed combustion air at temperatures of 1000.degree. F. or higher for both mixing and burning with gaseous or liquid fuels in the primary and secondary combustion chambers therein and to provide by parallel flow cooling of the improved combustion chamber elements in the combustor.
With rising fossil fuel prices, the production cost of thermal and electrical energy has risen dramatically. Therefore, the conversion efficiencies of modern fossil fuel plant installations have become more important. The economics of power generation are beginning to favor power plant installations with thermal cycles having high turbine inlet temperatures in order to attain low energy production costs through improved overall thermal efficiencies. Modern fossil fuel installations now include combined gas turbine and steam turbine systems or open cycle elevated temperature gas turbine systems with regenerators.
Prior art combustors have been designed generally to operate with a regenerator to deliver heated combustion air to the combustor at temperatures as high as 1000.degree. F. or higher .This is about 350.degree. F. higher than the combustion air inlet temperature used in known prior art combustors used in a simple open cycle gas turbine system.
Various combustors for use with gas turbine systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,288,980; 3,738,106; 3,720,497; 3,608,309; 3,589,509; and 2,648,950. In the combustors disclosed in these patents, compressed combustion air is passed about the combustion chamber in a direction counter to the direction of flow of the combustion gases therein, primarily for the purpose of cooling the inner liner or wall about the combustion chamber before the air is delivered and burned in the combustion chamber. This type of counter flow operation, provides film cooling of the combustion chamber wall, but cannot meet the cooling requirements necessary to safely operate with regeneration pre-heated combustion air temperatures of about 1000.degree. F. and higher used for mixing and burning with liquid and gaseous fuel as is accomplished in accordance with the present invention.
The present invention provides an improved combustor which can satisfy those requirements. Additionally, the diverter and parallel flow combustor in accordance with the present invention permits use of a support casing for the combustor between the turbine-compressor of a regenerative open cycle gas turbine system thus eliminating connecting piping and the conventional spool piece support heretofore used with the prior art counter flow combustors.